Rabat – Israeli airstrikes have once again targeted displaced Palestinians in Gaza, this time hitting another tent camp in the al-Mawasi area west of Rafah. The latest attack has resulted in 21 fatalities and dozens of injuries, according to Gaza health officials.
The camp, set up to house displaced Palestinians, is situated in a designated humanitarian “safe zone” where Israeli authorities had previously instructed civilians to seek refuge.
Al Jazeera’s Hind Khoudary, reporting from Deir el-Balah, confirmed the casualties, noting that among the dead are 13 women. She highlighted the lack of medical facilities in Rafah, resulting in all the injured and deceased being taken to the International Medical Corps field hospital.
This dire situation is exacerbated by the absence of ambulances and a critical shortage of fuel, which are impeding the transport of the injured.
“It’s catastrophic and horrifying being injured and not being able to get transferred from one place to another because of lack of fuel. For more than three weeks now, nothing has entered the Gaza Strip,” Khoudary reported.
Verified footage from Al Jazeera’s Sanad fact-checking agency shows the immediate aftermath of the attack, depicting numerous casualties amidst frantic efforts by residents to aid the injured and cover the deceased.
In addition, Palestinian journalist, filmmaker, and Instagram personality Bisan Owda, shared a devastating video where she showed the aftermath of the attack. She described the harrowing scenes of camp residents collecting the remains and dismembered bodies of their loved ones who were killed in the airstrike.
The strike came less than 48 hours after another deadly incident on Sunday night in Tal as-Sultan in western Rafah, where Israeli forces bombed a similar tent camp in a designated “safe zone”, killing 45 people. The Gazan Government Media Office said that Israel used a 907-kilogram bomb in the attack.
Following the attack, disturbing videos and images emerged online showing burned and dismembered bodies, including those of children. A notably graphic video went viral, showing a man holding the burned body of a beheaded young boy.
The attacks come days after the International Court of Justice (ICJ) issued a ruling ordering Israel to “immediately” halt its offensive Rafah, however, Israel continues to defy the order.
